COMMENTS:The Silver Palm area is near the corner of 232nd Street and SW 157th Avenue, between US1 and SR997 (Krome Ave) REMAINS: Anderson's Corner general store, Silver Palm schoolhouse (now a residence), Historic Marker, old homes

In the early 1900's, the town of Silver Palm developed near the intersection of Silver Palm Drive and Newton Road. It went from a small number of homesteading farmers to span the area from Perrine (near present day US1) to Florida City. The name came from the silver palm trees that grew in the area. Early settlers included Charles Gossman and William Anderson, who built the first general store in town. From 1910 to 1920 Dade County's population quadrupled in size. As more and more homesteaders found their way south, the lowlands were drained, allowing the citrus industry to begin and thrive in the tropical climate. A schoolhouse was built just across the road from Anderson's General Store, making the area known as "Anderson's Corner". The citrus canker epidemic in 1913 devastated the area economy. Farmers watched helplessly as government inspection teams burned their orange groves. The 1926 Hurricane dealt another blow to the area, followed soonafter by the Great Depression. William Anderson closed his store in 1930, and today Anderson's Store, the Silver Palm School, and a few scattered old houses are all that remain. Today, only two original structures survive: the Silver Palm School and the community general store.
Submitted by: Jim Pike